The Dolphins' Bell

Pern (Chronological Order)

by Anne McCaffrey, Pat Morrissey (Illustrator)

A tale of the second crossing.

When the original colonists find that the Southern Continent is too geologically unstable, they need to find a way to transport the growing colony and its possessions to the Northern Continent.
Working with the intelligent dolphins who helped to colonize Pern with humans is key if they are to be successful...

With illustrations and border decorations by Pat Morrissey.

Genres: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Dragons, Science Fiction Fantasy, Fiction, Short Stories, Adult

158 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Anne Inez McCaffrey was an American writer known for the Dragonriders of Pern science fiction series. She was the first woman to win a Hugo Award for fiction (Best Novella, Weyr Search, 1968) and the first to win a Nebula Award (Best Novella, Dragonrider, 1969). Her 1978 novel The White Dragon became one of the first science-fiction books to appear on the New York Times Best Seller list.
In 2005 the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America named McCaffrey its 22nd Grand Master, an annual award to living writers of fantasy and science fiction. She was inducted by the Science Fiction Hall of Fame on 17 June 2006. She also received the Robert A. Heinlein Award for her work in 2007.

Reviews

[Sarah B · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I have read many of the Pern books over the years, somehow I must ht missed this one! I was looking for a novella by Anne Mccaffrey to read as part of a challenge and my library had this one so I had ordered it...and I was very surprised to find out it was a Pern story. I didn't know there were dolphins on Pern. I certainly remember the dragons and the firelizards but I don't recall any dolphins.

So this is a sea story that involves the humans fleeing from Landing in a somewhat ragtag fleet of ships and anything that floats. You see a volcano is going to erupt and they need to leave. Now. But they have to save as much of their supplies as they can. And danger lurks at sea too.

While entertaining I didn't find the tale that riveting. I really couldn't connect with the characters or feel a sense of danger. Maybe if things would have been described more? Like the eruption coming nearer really wasn't played up that much or the time at sea. Yes, this story definitely lacks in description...which is kind of odd for such a famous author. I never got a sense of being there. The characterization was also kind of weak and I never felt that I actually knew who they were? Even big events fall flat without the proper description.

The pages have lovely black and white illustrations in a border around the text. And there are a few full page illustrations too.

[Ian]

This short story is in the collection titled 'Chronicles of Pern - First Fall'. But I would like to get it for the illustrations

[Lydia E Winters · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't sure what I thought at first, since I'm not usually a fan of sailing/seafaring books. But I was curious about the early days of Pern, and as someone who still has three majority of McCaffrey's books left to read, this was a good introduction to that time period.

The end was really enjoyable. McCaffrey works in just a skotch of romance and ends everything on a high note.

All in all, an excellent Pern novella.

[June · Rating 4 out of 5]

Included in The Chronicles of Pern: First Fall

I found the Dolphins' Bell interesting to get the story of how the settler's moved from the southern continent to the northern.

[RavenT · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Dolphin's Bell is a 157-page novella set in the early days of Pern. It tells of the second crossing, from the Southern Continent to the Northern Continent. The story runs contemporaneously with the conclusion of the novel Dragonsdawn.

The Dolphin's Bell appears in the anthology, The Chronicles of Pern: First Fall. It was published as a Wildside Press book, also.

This is one action-packed tale. It was my favorite of First Fall.

[Rainbow Unicorn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nice short story in the Pern series by the late Anne McCaffrey. Being short in no detracted from the story, and having read the rest of the series, I would say this is more of a background/filler and enhanced the small Dolphin portion of the Pern series, which mainly concentrates on the Dragon side of things. Pern is a vast land, and although the main series is about the Dragon Riders, there are other animal species, including, but not limited to the Dolphins and Fire Lizards, and there are a few books in the Pern series which concentrate a bit more on these two species more than the Dragons and they are a great addition to the series, with not just the species themselves, but the humans.

[Nikky3 · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I started this book I had no idea were it went in the time line and I had a hell of a time tryig to figure out who were dolphins and if they were realy talking or not. Once I stoped and took a look at the internet the book got better. It still is a little wierd, it is the first 'prequel' that I read and I don't realy know why we needed it, or for that matter why you would take dolphans into space.... it is fine the book is fine.

[Janie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of the first settlers from earth. Readers of the Pern series will recognize the names of the characters. This story takes place on the southern continent at the time of the Volcano eruption. It is a story of the dolphins and the people who saved supplies and lives on their way to the northern continent.

[Katy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is a great continuation of the move from the south of Pern, up to the North and, as it involves talking Dolphins, I was totally hooked!

It was great to read a bit more about Captain Jim Tillek, too - it shows the man behind the authority, and made him more approachable somehow.

But the stars of the show were definitely the Dolphins, and I absolutely loved it!

[Al Lock · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is ok, but really, not anything special. It lacks the conflicts of the typical Pern book, and despite the research done about sailing, it doesn't really seem to have any passion. It just fills in a few gaps.

[Lesley · Rating 3 out of 5]

good addition to the Pern story

[msleighm · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up

[S · Rating 2 out of 5]

Worse story in the first fall collection, was boring to me.

[K.L. · Rating 2 out of 5]

How the Dolphins of Pern helped evacuate Landing to the Northern Continent

[Franca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not her best, but had to be read in the series about Pern.

[Katherynne Boham · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading an Anne McCaffrey I hadn't read before. There were references to places and names of characters I knew ought to be familiar but weren't. Time to read all the Pern novels!

[Dedelytle · Rating 3 out of 5]

dolphins are better than dragons

[Jeff Crosby · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the short stories included in Chronicles of Pern: First Fall.

[Amyiw · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dolphins bell was OK readable with somewhat understanding of fleeing the south by water with the help of the dolphins. There is a slight romance with the ship captain and a dolphin handler who then become "holders". It isn't any more than the flight and a storm.

The characters are a bit flat with slight insights into their thoughts here and there, older man, younger woman (not young young late 30s, he 60s) this seems to be the norm in Pern, I think it comes from Anne McCaffrey's age as she was born 1926. I still like the first trilogy, and the H arper's hall trilogy, which were the beginning books but found some of the end book to be like this. There might be a bit of a story but it is not cohesive and is more of a feel of Pern and some of the history. This was Ok to good. 2 1/2. It was my second read as I read through this before stopping and DNF The Chronicles of Pern with the second story (almost unreadable). I finished it this time and the 3 novella was pretty good, this one was in between.

2nd read August 2021

[Mollie *scoutrmom* · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an enjoyable novella. Parts of it seem to be resuscitated from editorial cuts out of the longer books in the series, but it makes sense as a story of its own, including a romance in the plot.

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Dolphins' Bell
McCaffrey, Anne
a short story of the pern series showing the connection between dolphins and the people of pern.
a collection of stories joining the story of pern together from dragons dawn to the white dragon

[Laura · Rating 1 out of 5]

Meh. Nothing fantastic and rather boring since I haven't read the other Pern books in years. I felt like nothing terribly surprising or exciting happened and it was altogether too predictable for my liking, particularly the romantic subplot. Frustrating. One star out of five.

[Owlboyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great collection of short stories about the early years of Pern. For those who are fans of the Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders series, this is a must read. I have read this book many times and it just doesn't get old.

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this Pern short story you get to meet the intellegent dolphins that traveled to Pern with the colonists. The writing is as good as the rest of the series with memeorable charcters and heroes.

[Alexandra]

13th Pern story in publication order.

[Marina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read in the antho The Chronicles of Pern: First Fall.

[Tristan]

Read prior to 2010

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this story!

[Michael Everett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this boon because it filled in the early history of Pern.

[Vader · Rating 3 out of 5]

5 star - Perfect
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not finish